I saw a video clip of a sparse crowd of besotted sycophants singing Happy Birthday to the president at a parade in his honor in Washington, DC, last Saturday.
Sad.
But the nation’s party wasn’t there that day. It was in 2,000 other places, where people were protesting monarchy. In cities, towns, and parks. On streets, roads, and boulevards.
The parade was a dud. The protests were a blast.
By the way, Che Guevara was also born on June 14. Happy birthday, Che.
Viva la Revolución!
Indeed, this June 14 was a special day for our nation and doubly special for Shepherdstown.
On June 14, 1775, 250 years ago, the Continental Army was established by an act of Congress for the sole purpose of supporting the American Revolution, a revolution whose aim was to uproot monarchy and plant democracy in this land.
Long live the Revolution!
Two-hundred-fifty years ago this month, 98 men—toting muskets, knives, and tomahawks—gathered a mile outside Shepherdstown on a grassy site from whence they would begin a march to join General Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as one of the first of 10 companies to make up the newly founded army. It took them only 25 days on foot to traverse 600 miles.
Hence, the legendary name: “The Beeline March.”
When freedom is at stake, there’s no time to dawdle.
A brass plaque at Morgan’s Grove Park marks that momentous event. Last Saturday hundreds of people, including reenactors and descendants of those 98 men, gathered at the site to commemorate them, their courage, their patriotism, and their determination to oust a king.
Later that same day, 1,400 patriots assembled in the center of town along King Street (actually North King Street, or No. King Street!!) to reclaim and proclaim—along with millions of other citizens across our country—the founding creed of our nation:
We are a nation of laws, not men. No one is above the law. No kings allowed!
Shepherdstown is a small town (257 acres; population 1,537) in West (too red, by God) Virginia. It was founded December 23, 1762—by Thomas Shepherd—before the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Lexington, the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army, and the United States of America itself.
Shepherdstown is an old town.
In 1762 King George III ruled the 13 colonies, including our town.
In 1775 a corps of 98 local yeomen made a beeline from our town to Cambridge.
And in 2025, 1,400 people made haste to Shepherdstown to stand up against tyranny.
When freedom is at stake, there’s no time to dawdle.
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